Christine Daaé

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Christine Daaé
The Phantom of the Opera character
PhantomOp.jpg
Christine Daaé (Mary Philbin) in the 1925 film The Phantom of the Opera, alongside The Phantom (Lon Chaney).
Created by Gaston Leroux
Portrayed by See "Actresses"
Information
Gender Female
Occupation Singer
Family Madame Valérius (adoptive mother)
Gustave Daaé (father)
Spouse(s) Viscount Raoul de Chagny
Significant other(s) Erik, the Phantom of the Opera
Children Gustave de Chagny (son)
Nationality Swedish

Christine Eloise Mary Daaé is a fictional character and the female protagonist of Gaston Leroux's 1910 novel The Phantom of the Opera. She is a young singer with whom the main character Erik, the Phantom of the Opera falls in love.

Contents

Character history[edit]

Lifetime[edit]

Christine Daaé is born Uppsala, Sweden on 11 October 1861 (which, in Susan Kay's novel Phantom, is the year Erik's mother, Madeleine, died). She is raised by her father, travelling to fairs where he plays the violin and she sings. They are discovered at one of these fairs by Professor Valérius, who takes them to Gothenburg and then to Paris, providing for Christine's education.

Christine is extremely close to her father, who tells her Scandinavian fairy-tales; a tale of the "Angel of Music" is her favourite. Valérius, the bedridden wife of the late Professor. Christine enters the Paris Conservatoire and trains for four years to become a professional singer to please her father and Mamma Valérius, but has lost all passion for singing.

When Christine arrives at the Opera Garnier, she is described as 'sounding like a rusty hinge', but one person finds the beauty hidden in her tone. When Erik begins to tutor her, he tells her that he is the "Angel of Music" of whom her father had spoken (Erik tells her this because he has fallen in love with her). She believes him, and he inspires her soul back into her voice. Christine debuts at a gala at the opera, after the singer Carlotta falls ill and she is asked to take her place. Christine's singing is described as "seraphic".

Christine becomes torn between her loyalty for her mentor Erik, and her love for her childhood friend Viscount Raoul de Chagny.

In the Lofficier translation of the novel, it is stated that Christine is 15 years old. However, this is a mistranslation of a passage which says her heart was 'as pure as that of a 15 year old.' The evidence of Christine's childhood friendship with Raoul, and her studies at the Paris Conservatoire, put her age at 20.

In the novel, Christine is described as having honey-blonde colored hair, blue eyes, and suffers from nearsightedness. The latter of which contributes to her innocence as revealed during a childhood memory where Christine and Raoul look for fairies. Because she can only see clearly that which is near to her, she's convinced she can actually see fairies far off in the distance.

Cause of death[edit]

In the film version of The Phantom of the Opera by Andrew Lloyd Webber, Christine's gravemark said that at age 63, she has died of old age, but in Lloyd Webber's sequel Love Never Dies, the timeline is somewhat skewed to fit the Coney Island setting. She is approximately 31 years of age when accidentally shot in the abdomen by her best friend Meg Giry. Before dying, Christine tells the Phantom to remember that "love never dies" and gives him her final kiss.

Father's name[edit]

Christine has a father who loved her very much. In the Sarah Brightman music video version of "Wishing You Were Somehow Here Again", his name is revealed to be "Lars". In the 2004 movie, his name is "Gustave", in the novel Christine refers to him as "Daddy Daaé".

Andrew Lloyd Webber's musical The Phantom of the Opera[edit]

See: The Phantom of the Opera (1986 musical)

Christine Daaé, a chorus girl, becomes the object of obsession, passion, and love for the mysterious Phantom of the Opera, who becomes her mentor. With his help, she is chosen to replace the company's prima donna. When she falls in love with her childhood sweetheart, Raoul, the Phantom kidnaps Christine in a jealous rage, and drags her down to his lair. She is forced to choose between the Phantom and Raoul, but her compassion for the Phantom moves him to free them both and allow them to flee. At the end of the film version of this show, her gravemark says that she was born in 1854 and died in 1917.

2004 Film

Although this character mainly follows the plot of the musical, her age is altered to that of a teenager (most likely 16).

Andrew Lloyd Webber's musical Love Never Dies[edit]

See: Love Never Dies (musical)

Love Never Dies is a sequel to the Lloyd Webber musical The Phantom of the Opera. The plot is not based on the story-line in the original book by Gaston Leroux, and Lloyd Webber has stated "I don't regard this as a sequel – it's a stand-alone piece". The musical is set in 1907, which Lloyd Webber states is "ten years roughly after the end of the original Phantom," although the events of the original actually took place in 1881. Christine Daaé is invited to perform in Manhattan, but is taken off to a new attraction, Phantasma, by an anonymous impresario (The Phantom) and, with her husband Raoul and son Gustave in tow, journeys to Coney Island, unaware of who has brought her there. This time Christine has a big secret and surprise for The Phantom. Christine is again faced with a decision between her husband and the Phantom and the show ends with her being shot by her best friend Meg and dying in the Phantom's arms.

Basis[edit]

Several researchers claim the character Christine Daaé was based upon the real-life Swedish-born opera star Christina Nilsson, also known as Kristina Nilsson or Christine Nilsson.[1][2][3][4][5] This claim is unverified by any official source, but it is supported by several biographical similarities between Nilsson and Daaé. The most obvious is that Nilsson, like Daaé, was born in Sweden and trained in Paris.

Actresses[edit]

The first actress to portray Christine Daaé was Aud Egede-Nissen in the 1916 German silent version by Ernst Matray, Das Gespenst im Opernhaus or Das Phantom der Oper, also starring Nils Olaf Chrisander.

  • Jane Seymour played Christine in the 1983 TV movie version.
  • Patti Cohenour debuted the role in the 1986 Broadway Production alongside Sarah Brightman. Patti was the first American Christine Daaé. Patti Cohenour went on to reprise the role for the First Canadian National Tour.
  • Rebecca Caine debuted the role in the Canadian production (1989) and featured on the Canadian Cast album.
  • Claudia Cota played her twice in the Phantom of the Opera (musical 2000) by Morris Gilbert in Mexico and Player her on Phantom of the Opera (musical 2009) in Argentina by Harold Prince.
  • Gina Beck previously played the role in London.
  • Anna 'O Byrne played Christine in the Australian Production of Love Never Dies and also at certain performances in London.
  • Katie Hall played the role in the new UK tour, after having been understudy and alternate in the London production.

References[edit]

  1. ^ Jussi Björling Museum: Four Great Nordic Singers
  2. ^ NYSL Library Notes: Status: In Cataloging (1 October 2008)
  3. ^ Linton, Elizabeth Lynn. The Rebel of the Family p. 362, ISBN 1-55111-293-0
  4. ^ Hollingsworth, Amy Gifts of Passage: What the Dying Tell Us with the Gifts They Leave Behind p. 38, ISBN 0-8499-1920-7
  5. ^ Eriksson, Lill. Förtrollad av Fantomen för snart 100:e gången (Swedish) Eventnews.se
  6. ^ http://www.oregonlive.com/performance/index.ssf/2010/10/janet_chvatal_comes_home_with.html
  7. ^ Program book for the Vienna Production of Phantom of the Opera (November, 1990 / 2. Publication October, 1991) Programmbuch zur Aufführung des Musicals Das Phantom der Oper
  8. ^ Ellen Robertson, Face to Face interview with Annika Johansson on KACV-TV Amarillo Channel 8 (PBS), 11 May 2010 (accessed 1 June 2010).

Catherine played Christine at hope's school for girls at the age of 12 she is the new youngest star performer.

External links[edit]
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